


Ad Astra

by AuroraFantasy



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! Zexal
Genre: Adventure, Aged-Up Character(s), Established Relationship, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Post-Canon, Rating May Change
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-21
Updated: 2017-02-03
Packaged: 2018-07-25 21:09:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 14,852
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7547329
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AuroraFantasy/pseuds/AuroraFantasy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sic Itur Ad Astra [Latin; "thus one goes to the stars". A metaphor for immortality.]</p><p>Four years after the events of Zexal, Kaito and Mizael are living happily together. Kaito is continuing to study the Parallel Worlds, when he finally makes a breakthrough.<br/>What happens, the two find, is not what they expected.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Mizael furrowed his brows as he listened to the rain outside.

The gentle pitter patter on the window pane made him only feel melancholy as he looked out and saw nothing but a dark sky. He had it made, really; a warm, comfortable apartment, a good book, and a sleeping cat currently curled up with him on the couch. Haruto was doing his homework in his bedroom, finishing something Mizael had told him to work on hours ago.

Mizael’s own university coursework was long completed, as was all of his work for the next several weeks. It was just who he was -- Mizael enjoyed learning more than anything, especially when it was a topic he cared about. And, being a Chinese History major meant he could never learn enough. Still, in how seemingly perfect this night was, there was more bothering him than just the rain.

His eyes slid over to the clock again for the third time in the past five minutes. 10:08 PM. _He should have at least called by now,_ Mizael thought to himself. He’d long accepted that whether he liked it or not, when Kaito got invested in a project there was nothing that could keep him away from it. _He’s going to kill himself if he keeps overworking like this._ Mizael sighed as he turned the page of his book, trying to keep himself from worrying too much. This process of checking the time, sighing, and turning a page had been repeated a hundred times tonight, but just as he was about to do it again, his phone went off.

“Kai--” Mizael was cut off instantly after picking up the phone.

“Mizael, you and Haruto need to come to the lab right away,” Kaito said, his voice beaming with excitement and the slightest hint of exhaustion. It was a tone Mizael had come to hear many times, and, despite the worry that preceded it, always made him smile.

“I’m guessing you either made a major breakthrough, or you finally realized that working so late is going to kill you and you’ve accepted your death?” Mizael asked in response.

“The first one,” Kaito enthusiastically responded, so tired that Mizael’s jab went completely over his head. “This is big, Mizael. We finally did it. We finished -- just come to the lab. I’ll show you guys.”

“I suppose you won’t come home unless I drag you there, so we’ll be right over,” Mizael replied teasingly.

“Great! Hurry, I can’t wait to show you this. See you soon.” And with that, he hung up.

“Geez, not even an ‘I love you’, Kaito?” Mizael asked himself quietly as he stood up, putting his phone in his pocket. Kaito was nothing if not passionate about his work, at least. Noticing the rain had stopped, Mizael quickly pulled his white wool jacket out of the closet and knocked on Haruto’s door. “Get your jacket. Your brother wants us at the lab.”

***

Mizael yawned as he walked through the white hallways of the laboratory’s building, knowing full well where Kaito was. Haruto, in their multiple visits over the course of this project also knew precisely where to go, and had gone ahead.

“Come on, Mizael! Don’t you want to see what my brother has to show us?” Haruto asked as he stopped at a corner ahead to wait for Mizael. He had the same sparkle of excitement in his eyes that Kaito had when he was excited over work. There was something in it that made Mizael feel almost prideful he was getting to watch someone as intelligent as Haruto grow up.

“I’m coming,” Mizael replied, picking up his pace. He _did_ want to see Kaito’s work, after all. He just would have preferred to see it during the day, when he wasn’t tired and had actually seen Kaito for more than a half hour that day.

Catching up to Haruto, Mizael pulled his identification card out of his pocket as they approached his work space. Gliding the card through the slot, the sliding steel door opened.

Kaito was at his desk, looking over a mess of scattered papers. It was jarring how stark the contrast was to Chris’s clean, currently uninhabited workspace. His head perked up at the sound of the doors opening, and he promptly rushed over to Mizael and Haruto.

“It’s about time.”.

“We came here as soon as we could,” Mizael replied, embracing him. “You could have called earlier, you know.”

“We were so close to finishing,” Kaito pulled away, the ever-so-glistening twinkle in his eyes behind their tired exterior. He gestured towards a large machine in the center of the lab. “Just -- _look_.”

“Is it really finished, brother?” Haruto asked excitedly, running up to it with Kaito.

“How many coffees have you had today?” Mizael asked flatly, ignoring the machine completely and examining Kaito’s disorganized desk.

“Ha ha. You know it’s early by my standards,” Kaito replied just as sarcastically as he looked back to his brother. “But yes, Haruto. It is.” He put a hand on a just as eager Haruto’s shoulder. “This generator can create a stable portal to the Parallel Worlds whenever we want without using too much energy.”

Mizael glanced toward Kaito as he finished his sentence, then slowly walked over to see the portal for himself. He’d known this was what Kaito was working on, obviously; it was the only thing he talked about for months. There’d been multiple discussions of Mizael helping guide Kaito through Barian when the portal was finished, but it always seemed so far off. Standing in front of the finished portal was a completely different thing altogether.

“How nice of you to finally join us,” Kaito said as Mizael approached the brothers.

“It’s really finished,” Mizael said, the reality of the situation finally dawning on him. Without thinking, he found himself walking closer to the generator, getting a closer look.

“Mizael--” Kaito called out, reaching an arm out to him. “You can’t go into it tonight.”

“I know that,” Mizael replied, looking up. “I could have gone back at any time, you know.” He looked back at the machine. “But there’s something different about a machine that will let anyone go to the Parallel Worlds. You know what this means, right?”

“Of course,” Kaito responded with a serious tone. “I am well aware of the risks involved.” He put a reassuring hand on Mizael’s shoulder. “Don’t worry, I know what I’m doing.”

Mizael smiled at Kaito despite the concern in his eyes. “I suppose if you don’t know what you’re doing, I can clean up whatever mess you’re making.” Kaito smiled back tenderly in response.

“What’s next, brother?” Haruto asked excitedly, breaking the moment.

Kaito snapped up, excited to talk more. “Now we enter the preparation stage. It wouldn’t be wise to go into the Parallel Worlds right away, especially when we have the time and resources to learn everything we need to know beforehand now.” He glanced at Mizael, who responded with a small nod. “Once the preparation work is done, we’ll start the actual journey for more in-depth research.”

“Mizael will be guiding me through Barian. While we’re researching there, Chris will be studying Astral World” Kaito leaned back on a wall as he spoke.

“Shouldn’t Chris have a guide, too?” Mizael followed up. “The parallel worlds are still dangerous if you don’t know your way around, especially if you’ve never been there before.”

“Relax,” Kaito responded. “Did you think you two were the only ones I invited here tonight?”

It was then that the door to the lab opened, a familiar figure in the frame.

“It’s been a while,” Kaito said to the person standing before them. “Are you ready to see Astral again?”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Vector is never invited to anything Mizael has a say in.

Yuma Tsukumo grinned just as brightly as he did in middle school. He was much older now -- no longer a child stumbling through things, but now a young adult who had done more than a little growing up in the years that passed. Despite everything he’d been through, though, he still had the child-like glimmer in his eye. It was testament to just how powerful that Kattobing mindset of his was, really.

“Of course,” he answered Kaito as he approached the three. “I’ve been ready to see Astral again for a long time.”

“I’m glad to see you still have your spirit,” Kaito proudly remarked, offering his hand. “I knew I could trust you with this.”

Yuma took his hand and shook it. “Same to you.” In a snap reaction, Yuma turned to Haruto after noticing a uniform in the corner of his eye. “You're so big now, Haruto! I can't believe you're already in middle school!”

“Yeah!” Haruto replied, beaming. “I’ve wanted to go to Heartland Academy since I saw how much fun you all had at it together when I was little!” He smiled as he looked up at Yuma. “I’m the best duelist in my grade, you know.”

“He’s educated far past middle school, mind you, but he insisted.” Mizael said pridefully as he put an arm over Haruto’s shoulder. A snide smile made its way to his face. “He can help you with your homework if you want.”

“That’d be awesome! We could do it after duel --” It was then that the true nature of Mizael’s comment hit Yuma as he frustratedly faced him. “Hey! I’m doing fine, thank you! A duelist doesn’t need good grades, anyways!”

“As excitable as always, Yuma Tsukumo,” Mizael said quietly to himself. Despite the dismissive comment, his small smile showed his real intentions. “Though I suppose that _is_ part of your power over people.” His glance then turned to Kaito, who was making himself busy at his desk. “So, what other plans do you have for us tonight that you’re putting before resting?”

“Ideally, I’d like to get basic assignments out,” Kaito replied, putting on the pair of glasses he discarded in his excitement earlier. “Sadly, I do have a work partner, so that isn’t completely up to me--”

“Kaito,” Chris called, rushing into the room. “How much are you planning on covering tonight?” He stopped in front of him, rubbing his forehead frustratedly. “I leave the room for five minutes to process data and you gather all of these people --”  

“I’m not going to be able to think about anything else until we start the next step, Chris.” Kaito replied firmly, crossing his arms. “Everyone who needed to know about the portal was able to come, so it’s fine, isn’t it?”

“You know you’re going to kill yourself by working so hard,” Chris responded, knowing he was getting nowhere.

“Funny coming from you, considering you’re working just as late as I am. I’m an adult and I can take care of myself--”

“Actually, you can’t,” Mizael said, stepping in to stop this argument before it began. “I can think of numerous times where I’ve had to play the role of parent for you, Kaito.” Ignoring Kaito’s glare, he changed the subject. “But you do have a point. We’re all already here, so you may as well tell us what you want to do next.”

Kaito gave a frustrated huff, still annoyed with Mizael’s comment, before talking. “As I was discussing with Mizael and Haruto earlier, Mizael is going to be my guide in the Barian world. While we’re there, Chris will be in Astral world.” Kaito looked to Yuma. “You’ll be his guide, if you’re up for it.”

Yuma grinned, catching on to the challenge in Kaito’s voice. “You can count on me!”

“Good, good,” Kaito responded. “That brings me to my next point: while we do our preparations here, even more preparations need to be done in the Parallel Worlds so they expect us. We don’t want to intrude, after all.” He paused, taking a moment to wipe his glasses in his shirt. “Mizael, do you think you could talk to the other emperors about going back to Barian to help prepare?”

“I’ll make arrangements as soon as I can,” Mizael replied. “We’re busy people, though. It might take a few days for me to be able to see everyone.”

“That’s fine,” Kaito replied. “I know I can count on you to get it done. As for Astral world…” Kaito looked straight at Yuma. “You’d have to talk things over with Chris, obviously, but it’d be best if you went early to help organize things. You’ve been there and your father lived there, plus you’ve already met their leader. It’d be more time for you to spend with Astral, too.”

“Do you really think you should be making decisions about my trip for me?” Chris asked in response.

“It’s what makes the most sense,” Kaito said. “Do you have any other ideas?”

As the two started bickering, too tired from all the prior work to be having this conversation right now, Mizael found his eyes turning to Yuma. The smile on his face was much different than the usual dopey one; instead, it was sincere and loving. He must have started fully grasping he was seeing Astral again. The warmth of it made Mizael feel safe as he looked at it. Perhaps it was because he himself had grown to know what it was like to love someone against all odds and obstacles in the way. His gaze naturally turned back to Kaito as he had that thought; a much smaller smile in the same vein as Yuma’s starting to grow on his face. He quickly snapped out of it, though, when he noticed Kaito finish speaking.

“...From here on out, all of the preparations for Astral world are in your guys’ hands. I have my own work to attend to.” He turned to Mizael, giving him a tired smile. “I think we’ve covered everything I want to talk about, so you can drag me home to bed now.”

“It’s about time,” Mizael replied, exasperated. He made his way to the lab doors, wondering if Kaito noticed his staring, when he felt a hand on his waist.

“You’re tense,” Kaito said bluntly to Mizael as they made their way down the street with Haruto leading the way.

Mizael stopped, the other two soon following as they looked at him. After staring at the sidewalk for a few seconds with his hands in his pockets, Mizael answered with an equally blunt statement.

“Don’t let anyone know I’m a Barian under any circumstances.”

“Mizael…” Haruto said, understanding the situation. Kaito looked at the two in surprise.

“I still hear about the Interdimensional War sometimes. Even if everything has been resolved for years, people still talk of how glad they are the Barians ‘got what was coming to them.’” Mizael looked to Haruto. “I’m guessing you’ve heard the same?” Haruto nodded as Mizael shifted in posture. “It’s all talk from simple minded people who didn’t understand the situation. But I’d rather keep the life I have here as it is.”

Kaito walked up to Mizael and held him close. “I understand. My life with you and Haruto means the world to me. I want nothing more than to keep both of you safe.”

Mizael closed his eyes as he held Kaito back. “Thank you.” He took comfort in the warmth for a few seconds before pulling away and snapping his posture to a more dominant one. “Speaking of Haruto,” he started, looking straight at the younger Tenjo. “We should get home. You have school tomorrow.”

“What!?” Haruto responded, distressed. “But we have research to start for the Parallel Worlds tomorrow!”  
“Correction. _We_ have to start research. _You_ have had more than enough exposure to the Parallel Worlds for a lifetime.”

Haruto looked to Kaito for support. “Brother, tell him I can handle it!”

“I’m sorry, Haruto,” Kaito responded, clearly not wanting a part of this as he walked ahead. “But Mizael’s right. I don’t want anything like what happened to you the last time to ever happen again.”

“But--”

“No ‘buts’,” Mizael picked up his pace to match Kaito’s, a hand on his hip. “You specifically asked us to let you go to school so you could make friends. You’re not joining us.”

When Mizael saw the pout on Haruto’s face, he realized there was more truth to his comment about being the Tenjos’ parent he made earlier than he initially thought.

***

Over the course of the next few days, Mizael felt much of the structure of his normal day change as preparations went underway. He was getting more and more adjusted to looking intently over planning work for Kaito, telling him what would work and what wouldn't. The guise of a concerned partner who needed to know every detail of Kaito’s trip was how he presented himself to the array of scientists he was introduced to. It was tiring, but, at the very least it resulted in Kaito coming home early. Today, though, Mizael had different preparations to attend to.

The Kamishiro mansion made Mizael feel nostalgic. He’d spent most of his time in a bedroom he’d made for himself in the attic when he lived there, trying and failing to escape the noise and chaos that came from living with the other Barian emperors to no avail. Despite that, it still felt like a home on Earth to him; the Barians were his other family. It was comforting to know that, if he ever needed it, he still had a place here.

_I wonder if anyone’s taken care of the garden since I left,_ Mizael thought to himself as he opened the front door. _I should check on it after I’m done with business._ Getting sidetracked was a rarity for Mizael when he had important tasks to attend to, but the more time he spent in the old fashioned halls of the mansion, the more things he found himself wanting to do -- he’d left some books there before he moved out he was long overdue to reread that wouldn’t hurt to pick up. He hadn’t sat down and actually caught up with everyone in a while, either -- minus Alit, who forced him to hang out regularly. It’d be a good idea to make dinner plans after they’d finished discussing everything.

His wandering thoughts stopped with his feet as he approached the dining room door. Turning the handle, he looked down at the paperwork in his hand to remind himself of why he really came here. As Mizael entered, he was immediately met with noise and clutter as he saw the five bodies gathered at the table, a reminder of _why_ he was so eager to move out. Noticing him, everyone stopped talking as they waited for Mizael to set up at the head of the table.  

“Gilag, put your phone away. This is important,” Mizael scolded as Gilag tapped away as his screen, the faint sound of a blonde idol shouting, “Nice combo!” Gilag scowled at Mizael as he slowly locked his phone and put it into his pocket, clearly mad said combo had just been broken.

"Wait a minute," Durbe started, scanning the room. "You said this was a meeting for all of us? Where's Vector?"

"After heavy consideration, I decided this matter was too important for Vector to know about," Mizael replied plainly. He noticed a covert smile of approval from Nasch after making the statement.

Merag rested a cheek in her hand as she looked at Mizael condescendingly. “Geez, Mizael. You don’t check in for almost a month, and when you do it’s for some ‘important business’? How rude.”

“I’ve been busy with work,” Mizael said as he brushed her off. “And, besides, I think you’ll all find this very important yourselves.” He looked straight at everyone, dead serious. “Kaito’s portal to the Parallel Worlds is finished.”

The air in the room quickly thickened as everyone looked at Mizael. The small chitchat between Alit and Gilag and the tapping of Nasch’s finger on the table were replaced with silence, and Merag’s face was out of her arms. The same concerns were clearly in all of their minds, nobody wanted to say anything. Eventually, Alit broke the silence.

“F-for real…? Then that means --”

“Rest assured, Kaito will be the only human in Barian world for a very long time, and he’ll be guided by me,” Mizael said, easing the others. “He is aware of the stigma we still get, and is working his hardest to make this as private of a project as possible.” The others shifted in their seats, anxiety starting to ease. “However,” Mizael continued, “just as many preparations need to be made in Barian for this project as they do here. And that’s where you all come in.” Mizael sifted through his paper, looking over his notes for things that needed to be done. “We’ll need people to go to Barian world to alert the people of what’s going on, and prepare information for Kaito.” He glanced up from his paperwork. “I’d do it myself, but I have more than enough work to do here for this.”

Glances were exchanged around the table as everyone tried to process all of this information at once -- this was a lot of very delicate work for their own sakes, and Mizael had just laid it out. While everyone was still thinking things over, it was Nasch, unsurprisingly, to be the first to speak up.

“When do you need me to go?”

Mizael looked up with a smile, expecting this reaction from the Barian leader. “You’ll have to discuss that with Kaito. The sooner the better, though.”

“That’s fine with me,” Nasch replied, sitting up from his slouch. “I haven’t checked in to make sure everything is going smoothly over there in a while. I’ll be able to get preparations done for living space while I’m there, too.”

Durbe was the next to speak up. “I could go through political records to see what would be important for him to know and not know.” After thinking for a few seconds, he added on. “I can also contact doctors to explain our anatomy to him and translate medical charts.”

This caused Merag to perk up. “If you two are going, then I’ll have to go to make sure you don’t get into trouble.” She looked to Mizael. “I’ll help Kaito with Barian history.”

Mizael was jotting notes down as quickly as he could, satisfied with the results of this meeting. “Thank you, this is all a lot to work with, so I’ll have Kaito contact Nasch with further --”

“Wait,” Gilag interrupted. “Barians don’t eat. What’s he gonna do for food while you guys are there?”

“There’s plenty of non-perishable foods,” Mizael said as he looked up. “He’ll be fine --”

“So you’re just gonna make your boyfriend eat trail mix and crap for however long you guys are there?!” Alit bursted out. “Screw that! I can bring him food from here while he's researching.”

Mizael blinked in surprise for a few seconds, then slowly made a note to himself. “...I’m not going to deny help if you’re going to offer it.”

By this point the conversation had gotten much livelier, and everyone was brainstorming ideas on what to cover in Kaito’s research. The initial fears from the prospect of open access to the Barian world had eased up; Mizael actually found himself enjoying the conversation, at least when they weren’t trying to pry into details in his relationship.

Those books would be satisfying to reread that night.

***

“This is great,” Kaito said excitedly as he looked over Mizael’s notes. “I’ll look over everything and let everyone know what I need them to do. Thank you so, so much, Mizael. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

“Flattery will get you nowhere, Kaito Tenjo,” Mizael said teasingly as he accepted the compliment. He leaned over the small dining table, looking at Kaito’s own notes from his seat. “Did you get the work you needed to get done today as well?”

“Of course,” Kaito replied, looking at Mizael. “Everything’s set up for Haruto. He’ll be staying with our father while you and I are in Barian.”

“I still think you should let me come with,” Haruto called out from behind a counter as he did the dishes. “I’m already twelve, you know. Yuma was in my grade when _he_ went to the Parallel Worlds…”

“ _Yuma_ also wasn’t given powers that were way too overwhelming for a human as a small child and left severely from traumatized them,” Mizael reminded chidingly. “We’re doing this for your safety.”

“Fine, fine” Haruto replied as dried his hands on a spare dishtowel. “It’ll be nice to have more space to myself and get away from _someone’s_ nagging for a while.”

“I’ll remember that the next time you need help on a homework assignment or when you want to hear another story of mine,” Mizael said, not looking up from the papers he was reading over as Haruto went to his room. “He’s starting to get stubborn like you,” he commented to Kaito when they heard the door shut. “I don’t like it.” Kaito gave Mizael a small glower before going back to his work.

“I’m sorry,” Kaito’s voice was quiet and genuine in their dark bedroom that night. Mizael turned around groggily, already half asleep, and faced him.

“Hm…?”

“About Haruto.” Kaito’s tired eyes showed concern as he looked at Mizael. “I know how you feel about my father after what he did to us back then.”

Mizael looked at Kaito, deep in thought for a few seconds before responding. “It’s our only option that doesn’t blow our cover. The fact that I’m going to be gone the same time as you is already suspicious to outsiders.” He closed his eyes as he shifted back to where he was in bed before. “Whether I like it or not, sadly, is not a factor in it.”

Kaito sighed as he analyzed Mizael’s answer, knowing his words to be true. Mizael started drifting back to sleep, when he felt two arms wrap around his waist.

“Mizael?”

“Hm?”

“...Thank you for helping raise Haruto with me.”

Mizael smiled as he sleepily put one of his own hands over Kaito’s. “You’re welcome.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was in a rush when I posted the first chapter and couldn't do notes, so I guess I get to do those now.  
> Whoop whoop, finally getting around to making substance in this project. This story's been a brainchild of mine for a few months and I finally decided to start writing! This chapter was difficult because something traumatic (to put it very lightly) happened to me last week, but I'm finally getting to the point where I can write again. Sadly, I'm going out of state for a week a week from today, so that's more time I won't be able to write. Hopefully the fact that this is chapter is 3x the length of something I usually write makes up for that.
> 
> I liked this chapter a lot when I got into writing it. I got to insert a lot of little headcanon-y things, and finally, after months, got to write the domestic Kaito and Mizael raising Haruto together that I want and deserve. It also made me realize how much I appreciate Kaito and Yuma.
> 
> Happy Zexal Month, everyone!!


	3. Chapter 3

The cupboards above Kaito and Mizael's kitchenette were all wide open as the two went through them. Any food that would be manageable to eat in Barian world ended up on the counter behind them, while Mizael demanded the foods that wouldn't were put away neatly in a pile that let them know they were already checked. With a heavy sigh, Kaito collapsed onto the counter below him. 

"This is so boring," he whined, looking at Mizael. "Can't you handle this? You know how Barian energy works and what it can and can't cook better than I do."

"No," Mizael replied, not looking down from the cabinet he found himself in. "I'm not doing this for me, you know. I don't need to eat. Besides," Mizael pulled out a can and looked it over before putting it back dismissively. "You'll just complain if I pick your food out for you."

A groan escaped Kaito's lips as he got up, getting back to work. The two continued sorting foods out in a lull, the only conversation being questions of what would and wouldn't work. As they finished up, taking notes of what they decided on, Kaito realized something.

"Mizael?"

"Hm?" Mizael replied, putting down his notepad.

"This is going to be your first time going back to Barian since the war, isn't it?" The tired but pleasant tone that was in Kaito's voice all morning was replaced with a serious one that expressed concern. 

Mizael looked at Kaito wide eyed for a second before turning away, deep in thought. He clearly wasn't expecting this to be what Kaito was curious about, which left him stunned and off guard.

"I've had no reason to go back until now."

Kaito looked unsatisfied with such a simple answer on a complicated subject, but Mizael soon started talking again.

"Nasch and the others check up on the people regularly. They've told me there is a self-sufficient government that collaborates with Astral world. Trusting them, I have seen no need to go back." His voice lowered to a murmur, practically inaudible. "Especially without Tachyon."

A hand came over Mizael's as Kaito looked at him, even more concerned. "Are you afraid?"

"Don't be ridiculous," Mizael replied, his upset face contradicting his confident statement. "If I wanted to go back, I could have at any time. I just didn't." He looked at Kaito as he forced a smile. "I feel much more needed here, with you two."

Kaito smiled softly as he took his hand away, still not convinced. Sensing Mizael didn't want to talk about this, he quickly changed the subject.

"You know," Kaito started, adjusting his glasses. "Since we'll be gone for so long, you owe it to me to get dessert before we leave. I'm going to go a long time without any, after all."

The smile on Mizael's face changed to a more tender one as he looked at Kaito. "Fine. We’ll get something at the grocery store after the project meeting later."

The triumphant smile on Kaito's face only lasted a second before the latter part of Mizael's statement hit him. In their preparations, both of them managed to forget there was an important meeting at the lab that day. 

"...What time is it?"

The two slowly turned to look at the clock before scrambling to get ready.

***

Amazingly, they'd managed to get to the laboratory just in time for the meeting as Kaito made his way through a small crowd of scientists to Chris. 

"How nice of you to join us," Chris said smugly as he looked at Kaito.

"I got here before you started, didn't I?" Kaito replied, irritated. 

"Because _we_ _need you_ to start," Chris sighed. "...You were on time, though, even if it was barely." He turned to the group of scientists behind them. "We are ready to begin our meeting with representatives of the Parallel Worlds to track preparation progress."

On cue, the large screen behind Kaito and Chris turned on and slowly came into focus. Not that it mattered, as everyone was met with darkness and a muffled voice. 

"Hello? Kaito? Is this on? Geez, I really have no idea how to work this thing..." As he backed away, a blown up image of half of Yuma's face came over the screen.

"...Back away from the camera," Kaito responded as calmly as he could muster. Mizael, watching behind the crowd from a distance, was actually impressed with how well Kaito kept it together. 

"...Oh!" Yuma quickly backed up, rubbing the back of his head. "Whoops! Anyways, I'm here for the status report of Astral World's preparation progress!" The area surrounding him was different than that of the pristine Astral world; while it still had the cool, serene aura to it, there were also more jagged forms in the background. Yuma was clearly at a transitional point from when Astral and Barian combined, making the meeting easier for a Barian status report as well.

“Don’t you mean, ‘ _We’re_ here for the status report’?” A composed voice asked affectionately from behind Yuma. Astral’s form floated gracefully onto the screen to accompany him.

“Well, yeah, that’s what I meant! But I thought you were being camera shy,” Yuma responded cheerfully as he smiled at his companion. “It’s hard to tell with you sometimes.”

“I think it has more to do with that you’re not very bright, Yuma,” Astral replied as he crossed his arms teasingly.

“Hey! You were just talking about how much I’d matured since you last saw me not two seconds ago--”

Kaito loudly cleared his throat as he glowered at the screen. “I’m happy to see you two are enjoying your time together. But you have a job to do right now.”

“Ah! Sorry about that,” Yuma snapped back, looking straight at the camera.

“I apologize as well,” Astral added, keeping his casual posture as he floated.

“Preparations for the visit to Astral World are currently underway!” Yuma started, beaming. “A place has been prepared for Chris to stay comfortably at while he researches. In addition, the Astral people are coming together to prepare all of the information you have requested. Here’s their progress.” The screen switched from the camera feed of Yuma and Astral to plots of data.

“I understand,” Chris said, satisfied with the progress made thus far. “What are the results of the portal test?”

“As you can see with Yuma,” Astral started as the screen switched back to their camera feed, “you will have a safe arrival in Astral world with little difficulty.” The screen again changed, showing a bird’s eye view of Astral world. “You should land somewhere around here.” A mark came onto the map as Astral continued talking. “It should be very easy to find you when you land. When you make your departure, Yuma and I will be waiting for you.”

“I understand. Thank you very much,” Chris replied. “That’s all I need from you for the time being.”

“Roger!” Yuma responded. He then turned as he noticed something. “It looks like Nasch is here, too. I’ll switch things over to him so you can talk about Barian.”

“Thank you,” Kaito replied. “I’ll see you around, then.”

“Yep! See you!”  
“Goodbye,” Astral said simply as the feed changed over to Nasch.

“We will now commence the second part of the meeting with Barian world,” Kaito announced to the group behind him and Chris. “If you are a part of the team researching Astral world, please go to your respective stations to process the data we just received.” As a portion of the crowd of scientists dispersed with Chris, Mizael silently made his way towards the front of the crowd. Kaito turned back to the screen. “Nasch, are you there?”

The Barian king soon appeared in front of the camera. “Yes. I am Nasch, emperor of Barian, and I am here to report the status of progress of the preparatory work.”

A small smirk appeared on Kaito’s face, clearly not used to seeing the man he knew as Ryouga so refined and professional. He resisted the urge to make a comment for the sake of his cover as he let Nasch continue.

“At the moment, we have multiple teams coming together to meet the requests you have prepared for us. Our fellow emperors Merag and Durbe lead the teams in charge of historical and written records, and finding scientific research samples respectively. Here is their progress.” The screen once again flashed data as Nasch continued talking. “Another emperor has volunteered to be your guide for the trip, and is currently undergoing preparations to their chambers so you can stay with them during the trip.” The screen flashed back to Nasch. “They currently have not provided their progress on that, though, so I will have to make an additional report at another time. Rest assured, though, you will be staying in comfortable conditions while you are here.”

“Understood,” Kaito replied firmly.

“Excuse me,” an older scientist spoke up from the back. “Do you have a name of the fourth emperor who is assisting in preparations? It’s suspicious that the one Kaito is staying with is the one who wasn’t named and doesn’t have a progress report.” Small, nervous chatter broke out among the small crowd in agreement as Mizael found himself instinctively tense up.

“I can promise you that this coming together has no intent of harming Kaito or any other humans,” Nasch responded calmly. “Kaito’s guide is very private, and prefers only people who absolutely need to know get involved. Since their work specifically only involves Kaito, they have requested to meet with him on their own time to discuss things.”

“This is not my first time dealing with Barian world,” Kaito added on. “I have spoken to all of the emperors, including my guide. I can vouch that they are trustworthy and I am in no danger with them.” Mizael felt himself calm down as the conversations around him dissipated.

“Moving on,” Nasch started up again. “Here are the results of your portal test. Your probe landed with no damage, meaning you should be safe when you arrive.” The screen changed to a map, similar to before. “The area you landed in is sufficient to take you back to your quarters, however, that is obviously something you need to discuss with your guide.”

“I understand,” Kaito responded.

“If you have no further questions on our progress, that concludes my report.”

“I do not. Thank you for your time,” Kaito said. With that, the feed slowly turned off as he turned to his team. “This concludes our progress meeting. From here, we will now process the data we have received from Barian world, just as Chris’ team is doing with Astral world.”

Kaito waited for his team to empty the room before making his way to Mizael. “How do you think it went?”

“A bit too scary for my taste at some parts,” Mizael answered quietly, “but overall it was satisfactory.”

“Sorry about that,” Kaito replied. “I have to go back to work now, but it shouldn’t take too long. Is there anything you want me to do while I’m looking things over?”

“Not in particular,” Mizael said. He then leaned into Kaito’s ear. “I want to look over the results of the portal test later, though.”

“Understood,” Kaito murmured sternly. He pulled away and raised his voice. “Hopefully you won’t be too bored while I’m gone.”

“I’ll try to entertain myself,” Mizael replied as he looked around the barren room.

“That’s the spirit,” Kaito smiled affectionately. “I’ll see you soon.”

***

The academic journal Mizael found himself buried in covered topics that went over his head, but he only found the challenge of trying to understand the in-depth studies more appealing. His focus was soon broken, however, by the sounds of several men exiting the room.

“Nice work today!” One called out to the others as they made their way to the door. “Are you sure you don’t want to go out with us?” He asked to Kaito. “Come on, even Christopher is coming.”

“I’m sure,” Kaito replied calmly to the older man. “I have some work I still need to finish up, and I promised Mizael we’d have tonight to ourselves. We’re not going to get much of it soon, after all.” He waved as he walked away from the crowd. “You all have fun, though.”

“So hardworking,” the man commented. “No wonder you’re leading this at such a young age.”

“He’s so young and yet he’s already tied down,” another scientist added on. “I can’t say I envy him.”

“Here’s to that!”

As the laughter of the men slowly emptied the room, Kaito approached Mizael. “Did I keep you waiting long?”

“Not at all,” Mizael answered, playfulness in his voice. “I’d be more concerned about how much fun you could be having if you weren’t chained to an old man like me.”

“Come on now,” Kaito replied. “They just don’t understand what we have.” He looked back, making sure the room was empty, before speaking up again. “I can set up the data Nasch sent me in my workspace if you’d want to look over the schematics of the portal test now.”

Mizael slowly got out of the leather computer chair he was in and made his way to Kaito’s work room, answering Kaito’s question.

“So, the testing probe landed here,” Mizael said, leaning over Kaito’s mess of a desk to point at his computer screen in the dimly lit room. “Nasch is right, this is sufficient enough to get you to our chambers safely. However,” he moved his finger towards another part of the map. “If you could get the portal to land you somewhere around here, that would be a lot better. The trip to the palace would be a lot shorter, and it’d be easier for you to be seen by others when you landed. That way you won’t be in trouble in case I --”

Mizael stopped in his tracks at the sound of the door opening behind them.

“My apologies. I didn’t know anyone was in here,” An elderly man with a large file said from the doorway.

“Ah, Doctor Tanaka,” Kaito called, turning around in his chair. “What are you still doing here?”

“There were some files of Christopher’s I wanted to look over to make sure his trip went as smoothly as possible.” He put the folder on Chris’ desk and looked at Mizael. “Who is this you’re with? I haven’t seen him around.”

“Oh, right. You two haven’t met yet.” Kaito got out of his seat and guided Mizael over to Tanaka. “Mizael, this is Doctor Tanaka. He’s one of the leaders on the team studying Astral world. Doctor Tanaka, this is my partner, Mizael.”

“So _you’re_ the Mizael everyone around here has heard so much about,” Tanaka put out his hand. “Nice to meet you.” 

“Y-yeah,” Mizael said, blushing slightly as he took Tanaka’s hand. “I’m going to be studying abroad around the same time Kaito goes to the Parallel Worlds. This entire thing is very worrying for me, so I’m trying to learn as much about where he’s going myself before he leaves so I know he’ll be safe.”

“How considerate,” Tanaka replied. “You have nothing to worry about, though. Kaito himself is an extraordinarily capable young man, on top of the already highly qualified team he has working with him. He’ll be fine.”

“Thank you for your assurance,” Mizael said politely.

“Anyway, I just came to drop off that file. I have to get going,” Tanaka said as he made his way toward the door. “It was nice to meet you, Mizael. Don’t let Kaito work too late.”

The sound of the steel door loudly closing soon echoed in the room as Kaito looked at Mizael. “Geez, Mizael, what are you _ever_ going to do without me while I’m gone?”

“I’m more worried about what _you’ll_ do without _me_. I hope that anonymous Barian emperor that’s guiding you knows how to do laundry, since lord knows you don’t,” Mizael joked right back. He glanced at a clock. “Doctor Tanaka is right, though. It is getting late.” He smiled at Kaito. “Why don’t we go get dinner before grocery shopping? Just the two of us.”

“Sounds good to me,” Kaito said as he jotted down notes from his conversation with Mizael from earlier and shut his computer off. “After all, you still owe me strawberry cheesecake from this morning.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Headcanons I will die by:  
> -Kaito loves sweets, strawberry cheesecake and chocolate cake with caramel are his favorite (the latter for obvious reasons)  
> -Ryouga Kamishiro is a diehard fan of Sonic the Hedgehog and he ships Sonadow
> 
> Sadly, the second one will probably not be incorporated into this story.
> 
> I never realized how much I really do love Keyshipping before writing this fic, woah.
> 
> Hopefully updates won't take so long from here on out!!


	4. Chapter 4

The lights of Heartland weren't nearly as beautiful as the stars in the mountains, Mizael found, but for tonight they would have to suffice. It was the last night he'd see it in a while, after all.

He’d even gotten his Baria Lapis out earlier. He hadn’t touched it in years. Glistening on a dresser in the darkness of his bedroom bedroom behind him, Mizael supposed it was finally time to accept he was going back to Barian.   


He sighed as he rested his chin in his hand and gazed out through the apartment balcony. The air around him was crisp as he looked at his own breath. At least Barian would be warmer than here.   


Mizael was so wrapped up in the sights of Heartland that he almost didn't notice the sound of the sliding door opening behind him.    


"Oh, Haruto," Mizael turned, greeting the young boy as he walked towards him. "Is everything okay?"   


Haruto didn't respond, leaning against the balcony and joining Mizael in gazing out at Heartland. Just when Mizael was going to ask if he heard him, however, he finally spoke up.   


"You're going to come back from Barian, right, Mizael?"   


Mizael looked puzzled by the question for a second before quickly giving Haruto an assuring smile. “Of course. I’d never let anything happen to your brother that wouldn’t allow for a safe retur --”

“That’s not what I mean.” Haruto’s voice was shaking as he raised his voice. Mizael was taken back as Haruto stared at him dead-on, slowly starting to tear up. “You’ve never gone back to Barian before. What if you get busy with your work as an emperor and decide not to come back here?”

“If I stayed in barian, there’d be nobody here to take care of you --” Mizael was cut off by the sound of Haruto starting to cry. Haruto’s cries were soon muffled, however, when his face met with Mizael’s chest as he embraced the young boy in his arms.

“Haruto,” Mizael started, a finger easing its way into his light blue hair in a comforting motion. “What would make you even think I’d decide to stay in Barian?”

“I don’t know,” Haruto nestled his face further into Mizael’s chest. “But once I got the idea, I couldn’t shake it from my head. Mizael, please don't leave --”

“I promise, Haruto, I'm not going anywhere.” Mizael rested his head onto Haruto’s as his voice lowered to a reassuring whisper. “Do you know why I haven't gone back to Barian before now?”

“No…”

“It's because I love your brother and I love you.” His fingers continued to work their way through Haruto’s hair, calming him down. “I want to make sure you grow up properly and you're happy.” Mizael placed a small kiss on the top of Haruto’s head, then pulled apart to smile at him. “I can't do that if I'm not here, now can I?”

Haruto started to wipe the tears from his eyes as he happily looked at Mizael. “I love you too.”

“I'm counting on you while we’re gone, you know.” Mizael’s glance slid over to the white cat watching them through the sliding glass door. “After all, someone has to take of Yuki while your brother and I are away.”

A smile came to Haruto’s face. “Of course. Have fun listening to my brother talking about how much he misses her.”

Mizael laughed as he looked back out, an arm around Haruto’s shoulder.

***

The morning sunlight danced throughout the apartment as Mizael faced the Tenjo brothers, preparing to leave for Barian.

“Are you sure you have everything, Kaito?” Mizael asked for the hundredth time that morning. 

“Yes, Mizael. Do you want to look through my bag again?”  Kaito asked, clearly annoyed.

“I'm just making sure,” Mizael said. “If you forget anything, you can't come back for it.” His stern face softened to a smile as he hugged Kaito. “But, if you're sure, then I’ll see you soon.”

“Yeah,” Kaito said, giving Mizael a small kiss. 

Mizael pulled away and turned to Haruto. “Goodbye, Haruto.” He pulled him into a hug. “You better stay on top of your schoolwork while I’m gone. You’ll be in a lot of trouble when I get back if you don't.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Haruto replied as he pulled away. “I’ll do it all  _ just  _ for when you come back, Mizael.”

A smirk came to Mizael’s face. “Good.” He then put on his Baria Lapis. “I’ll be off, then. I’ll see you when you land, Kaito.” With that, the Baria Lapis glowed red and Mizael vanished into a small portal.

***

Scientists lined the observation glass above Kaito’s head in the sterile white room. The loud hum of the portal generator echoed outward as he stood confidently, waiting for directions.

“We will now start the trip to Barian World,” the director proceedings announced overhead. “All systems are online. Kaito Tenjo, are you ready?”

“Yes,” Kaito calmly as he looked up.

“You may step into the portal.”

On command, Kaito walked up to the generator and stepped through. His body slowly vanished to the sound of the people overhead clapping and cheering.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have no idea why this took so long, considering how short of a chapter this is. Whoops. I've already started the next chapter, though, so hopefully the wait won't be as long despite it being the longest chapter in my notes documents so far.   
> ...I just realized a lot of my headcanons for their cat, Yuki, were probably based off one of my favorite movies without realizing it.
> 
> Next time: we finally get to the meat of the first half of the fic and go to Barian World. Nice!


	5. Chapter 5

A flash of light found Kaito moving between worlds. His body was floating on his own through space; he was surprised to be as in control as he was at the speed he was moving. As his senses became more focused, he noticed a small barrier surrounding him, the reason for his control. Sadly, it didn't do anything to help with the constant popping of his ears as he sped through.

He turned to take in everything surrounding him; taking physical notes would disrupt his travels, so he made as many mental notes as possible before settling. Straining his eyes to look through the barrier, Kaito tried to absorb every detail he could of the array of colors he saw surrounding the stars, signifying different worlds. He supposed his good memory came in handy for this, though he didn’t want to take any chances as he tried to remember as many details as he could. For better or worse, at least the strong scent of metal in his nose wasn’t leaving any time soon.

_The stars are beautiful_ , he thought to himself between observations as he passed through. There was something amazing about it to him; every seemingly small star in the distance he passed was a gate to a new world. He wanted to explore each and every one of them and learn as much as possible. Just the thought of it overwhelmed him with excitement for a second until he managed to focus again. 

After all, the array of reds and yellows surrounding the parallel world he was already studying were quickly coming into view. 

Kaito braced himself as he approached for landing, soon being hit with another flash of light as he made impact. 

Upon opening his eyes, Kaito was alarmed to only see red. He realized quickly he wasn't feeling any severe pain, though, and that red wasn't his blood. He weakly got onto his knees and forced himself up, taking in his surroundings. Putting the communicator on his wrist to his face, he gathered the last of his energy. 

"I'm... Here..." 

As he leaned against a large crystal emerging from the ground, Kaito felt his consciousness start to flicker out.

***

Kaito soon awoke in the hard lap of a cloaked figure. As he slowly opened his eyes, he noticed a familiar mask he hadn't seen in years. 

"So, how do you like interdimensional travel?" Mizael asked affectionately as Kaito came to.

"It was fine until the end," Kaito replied, still exhausted. He rested his head against Mizael's chest. "How long was I out for?"

"Only a couple of minutes. I just got here," Mizael replied. His voice softened. "Don't worry, it happens to everyone until they get used to it." 

Kaito groaned as he shifted in Mizael's lap, trying to get up. Mizael's eyes widened in surprise as he grabbed Kaito and held him back. 

"What are you doing? You need to rest."

"I'm here, aren't I? That means we should start getting to work," Kaito protested, but soon found himself too tired to thoroughly fight back.

"You just got here. Moving between worlds takes a lot of stamina, Kaito," Mizael nagged. "Let me take you back to the palace so you can rest properly; you can start research tomorrow."

Kaito let out a small huff, but knew he wouldn't get anywhere if he argued. Accepting what Mizael said, he put his wrist to his face and changed the frequency on his communicator. "It's Kaito. I have arrived safely in Barian. My guide is here to take me back to the emperors' palace so I can rest." He started to get up, leaning on the crystal from earlier, then turned to Mizael. "Now that that's taken care of, we better get going."

"Can you even properly stand?" Mizael asked as he rose to his feet.

"Of course I can," Kaito answered as he staggered. "You need to stop underestimating how much I can endure, Mizael. I've been through way more than thi --"

Mizael put an exasperated hand to his face as he walked over to Kaito, now face down on the ground.

  
***   


Kaito found his face resting aptly between Mizael's own and his horned shoulder. It wasn't the most comfortable thing he'd ever felt, but Mizael had made his point about Kaito's stamina. At the very least, being carried by Mizael allowed for Kaito to finally take in the scenery of Barian.

Dark, jagged red crystals towering high as they emerged from the ground were commonplace in the distance; Mizael had told Kaito that Barian people used those as shelter, and, despite their rough looks on the outside, were elegantly designed on the inside. The corners of Kaito's lips curled into a small smile as he looked at them all, excited to see the insides in due time. 

The expanse in front of the two of them as they made their ways to the clusters of towers showed many smaller crystals coming out of the ground, like the one Kaito propped against earlier -- Barianite, a gem which could be used as an energy source on earth if utilized properly. Purple forms spiraled wildly out of the ground, spiked pink shapes that resembled flowers emerging from them. Kaito had no idea what those were, but he looked intently at them, intrigued and eager to find out.

Mizael's feet made clanking sounds as he walked, which, Kaito learned the hard way, was because the ground was just as solid as the rock coming from it. The dark red sky and the glimmers of reflected light on all of the surfaces completed the look, creating an eerie atmosphere. There was something almost artistic about it, Kaito thought, like something out of a storybook. 

He was so deep in thought about how his surroundings looked, he didn't even notice the heat until he saw how damp the soft, woven fabric of Mizael's cloak had gotten from his sweat. 

"Did you finally notice how hot it is?" Mizael asked, seemingly reading Kaito's mind.

"Yeah," Kaito replied weakly. 

"I told you Barian World was hot," Mizael said, a fondness in his voice past the shallow scolding. "Don't worry. I have cloaks ready for you at the palace," he added gently. "You'll find it's much cooler indoors as well."

Kaito, still dazed from his travels, realized he'd never actually put thought into why Mizael was cloaked now when he'd never seen these garments on him before. "Do those help with the heat, then?"

"Yes, for similar reasons to why humans dress in robes in particularly hot climates," Mizael explained as he glanced to the young man resting on him. "This is how Barians dress regularly. What you saw all those years ago are what we emperors wear at times of war to intimidate our opponents."

Kaito nodded as he reached down, trying to feel the robes underneath Mizael's cloak. Mizael put a hand near Kaito's to let him properly examine the sleeve -- the deep red fabric was light, but woven in a way that made it durable. The fibers were smooth but strong all together as Kaito moved them together with his fingers. 

"The fibers come from those trees," Mizael gestured to the purple forms surrounding them. "If you extract the flowers properly, they can be broken down to their fibers and woven," he continued while Kaito examined his garments the best as he could. "It's a skilled art, and because of this, many Barians study to become craftsman for clothing." He moved his hand away from Kaito and towards the top of his light yellow hood, noting the golden embellishment circling his head. "This lead to Barians becoming particular in noticing how others are dressed. Obviously, as an emperor, the clothing I wear and what you will be wearing are of the highest quality." The two looked ahead, seeing a paved path to a large tower. "As you will soon see."

Kaito got off of Mizael’s back as the approached the pathway. “I can walk on my own from here.” He smiled as he looked at Mizael. “Thank you.”

“ _Someone_ has to look out for you, after all,” Mizael replied before giving a welcoming hand. “Come on, I’ll show you the palace.”

Kaito happily took Mizael’s hand as they made their way down the pink walkway lined with Barianite. Other Barian people were walking near the path, going about their days -- this must have been the center of a city, Kaito rationalized. Many stopped and looked, curious about Kaito, but also looking on with an air of reverence to them. Mizael was right; none of the cloaks were embellished like his was, and the colors of their robes were much less rich.

“Excited to see others?” Mizael asked, noticing how Kaito’s eyes wandered to look at the others. “Don’t worry. You’ll have plenty of time to look around the city and meet people once we’re settled in.”

Kaito nodded as they walked. Having more energy, along with the paved ground made Kaito and Mizael’s travels quicker. They were soon met with a series of large towers that were all connected. The architecture to these were more elaborate than the other ones they had passed thus far; the tops had more prominent shapes around them, showing different levels of rooms within. Kaito looked up at them, amazed, not even thinking that he didn’t know which one he should enter.

“This way,” Mizael spoke, breaking Kaito out of his trance. “The towers all have the chambers of a different emperor, along with civic areas on the lower levels.” Still holding his hand, Mizael guided Kaito towards the center tower, notably larger than the others. “Since I know you’ll die if you don’t get to accomplish any work today, I’ll show you the main tower before taking you to mine to rest.”

“Thank you for understanding my needs,” Kaito replied jokingly back as he followed Mizael into the crystal building.

***

Kaito was brought to an expansive room, mostly spacious except for the long staircase leading to a throne in the center. Large, window like gaps allowed anyone present to be able to look outside to the land as well.

“This is the throne room,” Mizael said. “Only the emperors and other government officials who need to contact us are allowed in here.” He lidded his eyes slightly, giving an affectionate look to Kaito. “I thought you might want to see this first. It cements how special you being here is, after all.”

Kaito smiled as he listened to Mizael talk, half paying attention, half trying to scrutinize all of the little details of the room. He’d brought a camera; it’d be easy to photograph all of the details later. But he wanted his report to have as vivid detail as possible; to have the experience that he was standing in Barian’s throne room forever. As he circled the room, absorbing everything he could, his sights were soon turned back towards Mizael. The Barian was notably much stiffer in posture than he was before, resulting in Kaito walking up to him.

“Is everything okay?”

Mizael paused, silence coming over the room for a few moments before replying. “...Yeah.”

Kaito put a hand on the side of Mizael’s upper arm. “Are you sure? I rarely see you this serious, Mizael.”

“A lot of decisions I didn’t agree with were made the last time I was here,” Mizael said, looking away dismissively. “I suppose my time away from this place on Earth has tainted how I view it. That’s all.”

“We can talk about it if you want,” Kaito said as he looked at Mizael. “You’ve helped me through a lot, you know. I want to be there for you, too.” He smiled assuringly.

Mizael’s eyes softened as he looked back to Kaito. “...Later. I don’t want to drag you down with my personal issues on your first day here.”

“You’d never bring me down, you know,” Kaito responded before grabbing Mizael’s hand and changing the subject. “There’s more to this hall than just here. Why don’t you show me the rest of it now? I can come back here later.”

Mizael gripped Kaito’s hand tighter as they exited the throne room.

***

The main hall also offered the grand library, which had every written records of Barian society and history, along with the medical ward, which had a plethora of information about Barian biology. Mizael assured Kaito he would be spending a lot of time in both of these places, and the two were soon on their way to Mizael’s quarters.

There was a room with running water and two small pools; adorned with high ceilings, Kaito was told this was the equivalent to Mizael’s bathroom. The larger pool was where the two would wash each other, while the smaller pool could be used for their clothing. Kaito put his hand in the bigger pool. The warm water had a healing property to how it felt, like human water that had special soaps added to it. As he rested against the side, how tired he truly was hit him.

“Ready to go?” Mizael asked, noticing how fatigued Kaito seemed.

“Yeah,” Kaito replied with a yawn. “Besides,” he added with a smile. “I want to see your room. I want to know how you lived for so long before you met me.”

Mizael looked off guard at what a personal comment Kaito had just made, but made no objections as he walked him to his room.

The room was, to Kaito’s surprise, quite expansive in contrast to the small spaces Mizael regularly made himself home in on Earth. To combat that, there were multiple large bookshelves throughout -- all lined full to the top with a large assortment of different works. Unsurprisingly, however, upon inspection Kaito found a recurring theme of the books that seemed to focus on history or dragons.

“I’ve read everything in here several times,” Mizael said as Kaito looked through the covers with fascination. “If you see anything that looks interesting, let me know. I’ll read it to you.”

Along with books, Kaito noticed a large amount of miniature dragon statues throughout the room. Fitting, considering Mizael, but it posed a question to Kaito -- as an emperor, Mizael could commission anything he wanted. Just because Kaito only knew of two dragons Mizael had tamed didn’t mean there wasn’t a possibility for more.

“Mizael, are these…?”

“Not all of them,” Mizael said, reading Kaito’s mind. “I have lived a long life as a Barian, but I have not outlived _this_ many dragons.” He walked up to one of the slightly larger statues; about a foot and a half in height, resembling Tachyon and stroked it. “Only these bigger ones are of dragons I have personally lived with.” A sadness pinged his eyes as he moved away from the Tachyon statue and looked at the others. “The rest are simply other breeds I have a fascination with.”

“I see,” Kaito replied, still amazed that Mizael had tamed at least 3 more dragons he’d never talked about. Kaito assumed thinking of their passing caused Mizael pain, and with understanding eyes changed his glance to the large window he’d never recognized.

“It’s beautiful,” Kaito whispered as he glanced out the window at the landscape in front of his eyes, gripping a Barianite that framed the window near his hand. He turned and looked to Mizael. “What’s that ocean out there?”

“That’s the Sea of Ill Will,” Mizael answered. “Its waters are so toxic that most Barians don’t make it out. If your body was even a little exposed to the water, I can’t promise that I’d even be able to make you human again with my powers.”

“...I see,” Kaito replied, understanding what Mizael was referring to. “I suppose that leaves studying it out of the question.”

“Barian scientists have already researched it. I can get you copies of the data we have on it and translate them for you.” He looked back at Kaito, one eye open wider than the other in a teasing manner. “Though I suppose that isn’t as exciting as studying it yourself.”

Kaito turned away from the window, looking over Mizael’s room again. As he examined everything, how all of the pieces came together and created an image, the large space that had been filled to the brim with writings and statues -- even the style of the wardrobe Mizael kept his clothing in -- it all came together and painted a picture of Mizael. Kaito wasn’t one to notice details like that regularly, but this was all so clear to him. He made his way to Mizael’s bed and noticed the clothing Mizael had laid out for him. White robes with purple accents, along with a blue cloak that was equally as embellished as Mizael’s. Kaito smiled gently as he realized Mizael had them designed to resemble Photon Mode.

“Do you like them?”

“I love them.”

“...I’m glad,” Mizael replied as he put a hand on Kaito’s back. “Do you want to try them on?”

“I’d love to, but,” Kaito started, giving the robes to Mizael as he lied on the bed. Exhaustion clearly caught up to him. “I’m so tired, I don’t think I can.” He wiggled out of his jacket and pushed it into a ball on the floor as he put his glasses on a small table next to the bed and promptly curled up in the blankets.

“Hey, what do you think you’re doing!?” Mizael scolded, walking up to the jacket on the floor. “You’re not at home, Kaito. You can’t just leave your stuff where you please.” He started shaking it in Kaito’s face. “Get up and put this away.”

“Yeah, yeah, _your majes_ …” Kaito’s sentence ended abruptly with light snores.

“What am I going to do with you…” Mizael asked to himself as he put his hands on his hips. He supposed he should count his blessings Kaito was sleeping at all as opposed to overworking himself. Walking over, he watched Kaito sleep for a few moments before adjusting to be more comfortable.

Deep down, he couldn’t wait to fill the present gap in Kaito’s sleeping arms that night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you want to learn how to write more varied expressions in characters without depending on smiles/frowns/grimaces/etc, write about Barians. It's a good challenge.
> 
> I think I've made it evident at this point, but I actually view Mizael as being the token bookworm among the Barians. I see Durbe as more of an athlete because of his background with knighthood, though he does enjoy reading western literature in his free time.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In which the author gets busy with her job at a jewelry store she did not have before starting this fic, and nerds the everloving Heck out about rocks.  
> The gem in Kaito's brace is based off of [labradorite](http://geology.com/gemstones/labradorite/blue-labradorite.jpg), and, likewise, the gems on Mizael's body are meant to resemble [moonstone](http://vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/greenrider/images/b/bc/Moonstone.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20130225182735). Partially ~symbolism~, partially author appeal because those happen to be my two favorite gems.
> 
> As a final note before the chapter, [have some concept art](http://blooming-blooming.tumblr.com/post/150920831934/some-design-sketches-for-ad-astra-kaitos-has), or something like that.

When Kaito awoke the next morning, he was quickly escorted to the bathing area.

“Barian water has healing properties to it,” Mizael explained as he guided him. “It’ll be good for you to be exposed to it after travelling for so long.” Kaito didn’t know how much of it was true and how much of it was just Mizael forcing Kaito to take care of himself, but he knew he didn’t have a choice either way.

The warm water had a distinct calming scent to it; as it flowed over his skin, Kaito felt the healing sensation Mizael was talking about. The smell, similar to that of the soaps Mizael kept in their apartment, reminded Kaito of home as he washed himself. 

He looked at Mizael, further down in a part of the pool too hot for Kaito's body as he had that thought. Though Mizael had always denied it, it was dawning on Kaito that parts of him really were homesick for Barian all this time.

"Hmph. Enjoying the view?"

Kaito snapped out of his daze. "That's not it at all..." But now that Mizael had brought it up, Kaito's eyes _had_ started to wander. His hard, rock-like skin, wet and glistening in the red light made it hard for Kaito to deny that, even in this form, Mizael was gorgeous; possibly even more gorgeous than his human form, actually, even with the mask he refused to take off. 

But now was not the time for gawking. Kaito got out of the bath, determined to get down to business. Mizael turned around to look at Kaito as he heard the rustling of the water, clearly surprised.

“What? We have work to do,” Kaito commented as he started rubbing a towel over his body. The fabric was entirely different than the terrycloth humans used for towels. Much smoother and softer, the thick material resembled the cloth Kaito used to polish work tools with. He supposed it made sense for gem-based people to polish themselves, and he found the cloth to be very comfortable on his skin. It was only a matter of time before the tables from earlier were turned when Kaito caught Mizael staring at his body. “Who’s enjoying the view now?”

Mizael turned his face in embarrassment as he quickly made his way to Kaito. Taking a towel of his own and quickly polishing himself, the Barian threw Kaito’s robes at him. “Hurry up and get dressed. You wanted to see more of the Barian city, didn’t you?”

***

Hands joined together, Mizael guided Kaito out of the palaces and down to the city streets. Mizael was right -- the robes Kaito now wore made a significant difference in withstanding the heat compared to his previous garments. Along with keeping him cool, the silky texture was also pleasing to his skin.He hoped Mizael would let him take the robes home with him.

“How can you tell all the towers apart?” Kaito was moreso thinking out loud than anything when he asked the question as he looked at the tall forms.

“It’s easier to see if you’re a Barian,” Mizael responded regardless. “Our eyes can see the ways different crystals reflect better than human eyes. Different buildings are made from slightly different variations of crystal to denote their purpose.” He gestured upward as he explained. “Height also helps. For example, you noticed how tall the palace towers were compared to these, correct?”

Kaito made a small nod.

“That, combined with how brightly the light reflects off of those structures compared to, say, the shops here shows how important the palaces are.” Mizael continued explaining. “Polishing staff are very important to our society for that reason.”

“Keeping things polished is important in general, isn’t it?” Kaito asked, looking towards Mizael. “I noticed in the bath, too. Your towels are like human polishing cloths.”

“As observant as ever, Kaito,” Mizael responded with an approving look. “We pride ourselves on our ability to shine,” his eyes somberly closed. “Perhaps our ancestors started it as a way to show we could be radiant in our own way as beings of Chaos without needing to rank up when Astral World banished us.”

“I see,” Kaito replied quietly, sensing he was hitting a nerve.

“...It’s fine,” Mizael responded. He looked up. “Hey, we’re where I wanted to show you..”

Mizael’s grip tightened on Kaito’s hand as he pulled him into a shop.

***

Kaito found the Barian interiors even more beautiful than their exteriors. The crystal interior was clearly carefully carved and maintained; the shelves of the store, which were seemingly a part of the wall, had small, intricate detailed patterns within them. He ended up being so entranced by the interior itself that he didn’t even realize what the store was selling until Mizael took his hand.

“Look at this,” Mizael said, comparing a cuff bracelet with a deep blue gem with one of the natural white gems on his body under his robes. “They reflect the same way, don’t you think?”

“Yeah…” It was then that Kaito finally paid enough attention to his surroundings to realize he was in a jewelry store.

“I feel like they go together.” Mizael turned to look at Kaito. “Do you want it?”

Kaito smirked. “You’re much flashier here than you are in the Human World.”

“I’m also not an emperor or a highly respected dragon tamer in the Human World,” Mizael replied. “I have my pride here. And you’re a reflection of that.”

Kaito noticed Mizael’s seriousness and decided to look through the gems in front of him himself. Throughout the wide range of colors in the gems that glittered throughout the store, something kept bringing Kaito’s eyes back to the brace Mizael held. Indeed, there was something in the way both the gem in his hand and the one on his body that reflected differently than the others -- there was more depth to them as light shone through them. Reaching a hand out, Kaito took the brace from Mizael.

“They’re like counterparts.” Mizael nodded at the comment, to which Kaito smiled. “They remind me of us.”

“Y-Yeah,” Mizael clearly picked the brace out because he thought the same thing, but hearing Kaito vocalize this thought flustered him.

”I thought I recognized that cloak,” a voice called out from behind the counter. “I’ve missed my most valued customer. It's been a while, Mizael.”

Mizael turned to greet the shopkeeper as he approached the two of them. With a more aged look to his teal skin and less embellished robes compared to that of the two of them, Kaito understood just how high their status really was based on their current appearances.

”It’s nice to see you, too, Sarir.” The affectionate familiarity in the tone of Mizael’s voice wasn't one Kaito often heard. “I couldn't come back and not stop by at least once, you know.”

”I'm glad you did,” Sarir replied. “You’re not one to leave responsibilities behind. There must be something you're really devoted to in the Human World to not return since the war.” He put a hand on Mizael’s shoulder.

”I did,” Mizael said as he brought Kaito over, voice so warm his feelings were obvious. “This is Kaito, the human I am caring for as he researches our world.”

”So you're the human researcher,” Sarir commented. “There must be something special about you if Mizael’s stayed in the human world for so long. In the 400 years I've known him, Mizael has never preferred the company of another person over a dragon.”

“It’s not like I’ve _never_ had a relationship,” Mizael blurted out, flustered. “I’ve just never had someone keep my attention for long before. But Kaito’s a fellow dragon tamer. He understands better than others.”

Kaito raised an eyebrow at Mizael’s embarrassed reaction before smirking. “Don’t worry. I’m taking good care of him.”

“I can tell,” Sarir replied in an amused tone. “Hopefully he’s not too much of a hassle.”

“If anything, _I’m_ the one taking care of _Kaito_ ,” Mizael scoffed under his breath.

“Come on, I’m just happy for an old friend,” Sarir commented. “Here, I’ll even give you that brace for free as a welcome back gift.”

“You spoil me, Sarir. You know I can’t take business away from you,” Mizael assured.

“If you insist. But that means I get to treat you later.”

“It’s a deal.”

The two continued to talk as Kaito watched, smiling at the softer side Mizael rarely showed to others.

***

The morning soon passed by as the two made their ways through various stores; more attentive now, Kaito made sure to talk to as many Barians as he could to take in details about their world. Mizael himself was even becoming talkative to Barians they encountered as he spoke of the human world to them. However, the pleasantries soon came to an end as they reached the  afternoon. Kaito had work to do, after all.

“Not even allowing yourself a full day of getting used to your surroundings before getting back to work,” Mizael said, exasperated as they made their way up the main tower to the throne room. “What am I going to do with you?”  
“It’s not like you didn’t know about this meeting,” Kaito responded as he continued ahead.

“I know. But there’s something wrong when I’m the one who relaxes more in a relationship,” Mizael muttered defeatedly. There’d be more time for old couple bickering later, though. As they entered the throne room, they had business to attend to.

“Glad you could make it.” A voice came out from the form in the throne at the top of the stairs. Clothed in a deep red cloak with royal purple robes underneath, he radiated power as he descended. There was no question to his identity as he approached them. “How was your trip, Kaito?”

“Satisfactory,” Kaito answered bluntly.

“Always so straightforward,” Nasch responded. “No wonder you’re a scientist.”

“He’s here in one piece, which I suppose is the best we could hope for a human who’s never travelled between worlds like that before,” Mizael added.

“And what is that supposed to mean?” Kaito asked, annoyed.

“Nothing,” Mizael teased.

Kaito made a small glower as he turned to Nasch. “What can you tell me about the Barian political system?”

“While the seven of us were here, we ruled together,” Nasch started. “Though we were reborn at different points in Barian’s history, we were all natural leaders from Don Thousand’s curse.” He pulled his hood back. “Our gems glowed in different ways than the other Barian peoples’, signifying our right to lead.”

“I see,” Kaito said, casually writing notes down.

“We all had our roles in serving the government. I was the leader, obviously. Merag was my second in command, making every political decision with me -- a force to be reckoned with, for sure. Durbe handled government organization; making sure the people below us did their jobs and ran local governments effectively. Mizael,” Nasch said as he looked over at the present Barian, “was our defense.”

“Naturally,” Mizael replied. “There wasn’t a foe who would dare stand up to Tachyon and me. Some good that turned out to be, though.” His tone quickly picked up after the drop from his comment. “Gilag was head of job recruitment. Alit kept up morale.” Mizael put a hand to his face. “It was hard to feel despair during hard times with someone like him motivating everyone to keep fighting.”

“I see,” Kaito responded. “So, what was Vector in charge of?”

Mizael and Nasch shared disgusted glances before simultaneously answering. “...Offensive weaponry.”

Kaito smirked, expecting no less from the two emperors. He twirled his pen before speaking up again. “What’s the government like now that you aren’t here to run it anymore?”

“Since the war and the fusion with Astral World, a new dual system has been set up to collaborate,” Nasch explained. “Our worlds each now have representative council meetings regularly to discuss issues and continue the process of combining our societies. Both councils have leaders: For Astral World, Eliphas, and for Barian, we emperors came together and appointed a politician by the name of Australis.” Nasch looked at Kaito. “Are you following?”

“Of course,” Kaito answered. “I’m only taking notes because others want me to.”

“Once something enters Kaito’s head, it never leaves. Perhaps you should be careful what you say around him, Nasch,” Mizael commented.

“He’s not worth saving interesting details on,” Kaito dismissed as he looked down at his papers.

“What’s _that_ supposed to mean-?” Nasch started before quickly regaining his composure. “I’ve seen a lot in my time as king, you know.”

“That’s interesting, for sure, but I’m not going to save it for later if I need something from you.” Kaito smirked as he thumbed through his notes. “I have everything I need in that regard from when you were fourteen.”

Nasch’s eyes darkened, clearly ready to fight, before he pulled himself back. “...Anyway. All seven emperors always have automatic seats in the council, and can attend any meetings we please. This is especially important for matters regarding Earth.”

“I’ve never seen a reason to go,” Mizael instinctively answered Kaito’s question before he could ask it. “I just tell the other emperors my thoughts beforehand when a relevant council meeting comes up.”

Kaito accepted Mizael’s answer with a reluctant nod. The more he noticed Mizael’s behavior regarding Barian, the more it seemed like he was hiding something. He realized now was not the time to press it, though, and continued to listen to Nasch.

“Being the king, I choose to oversee as many council meetings as possible to make sure things run smoothly in my absence. Because of this, communication between all of the emperors and the council is key, as are the feelings of the Barian people.” He made a gesture outward. “You can witness our next council meeting while you are here, and afterwards a meeting with Australis that covers this more in-depth can be arranged.”

“Thank you,” Kaito replied.

“That’s about everything I have to say for now,” Nasch finished. “If you have any questions, feel free to contact me or Durbe while we’re here. Obviously, Mizael is also knowledgeable. But you should go rest for now, you only just got here.”

“I’ve been telling him to rest for years,” Mizael responded. “It doesn’t work.”

Kaito grumbled. “I do better when I focus on work.”

“Being awake for twenty-two hours straight looking over things isn’t ‘focusing,’ it’s suicide.”

Amongst the arguing, neither noticed Nasch quietly slip away.

***

“You seemed awfully familiar with that shopkeeper earlier,” Kaito said as he pulled out a small meal from his bag.

“Sarir provided guidance for me when there were disputes among the emperors and I couldn’t turn to Tachyon,” Mizael replied as he placed himself next to Kaito on a bench he’d found.

The normally red light turned more to a pale orange as the sun set behind them; in a more closed space, it wouldn’t be too noticeable, but in the open and expansive hall with multiple openings outside, the colors changed drastically. The sounds of footsteps rang out as several Barian people walked through, going from room to room on business. Everyone seemed too preoccupied with their own work to focus on Kaito. It was just as well; as he ate, Kaito paid no mind to the others around him himself.

“I hate dried fruit,” Kaito grumbled to himself as he put another apricot in his mouth. A small grimace came to his lips as he swallowed.

“You don’t have a choice right now.” Voice fatigued, Mizael himself was clearly not used to Barian World himself anymore.

“Didn’t you say Alit offered to bring food?”

“That’s for emergencies,” Mizael replied as his head lowered to Kaito’s shoulder. “He has a life, you know. An active one at that. He can’t just come and feed you all the time. Besides,” Mizael’s eyes met Kaito’s, “I’ve let you slack on eating well for a while since you wouldn’t have access to food for a while. It’d do you some good to get back to not eating what you please all the time.”

“Yeah, yeah.” The annoyance in Kaito’s tone made it clear he was more than accustomed to Mizael’s nagging.

The two stayed where they were, speaking little and of nothing in particular as the sun slowly fell and the moon started to rise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter delay started as me not wanting to write it, then getting too busy to write it with other obligations (and forgetting I never wrote it in the process), and then mid-November I was finally like, "oh, I should start this," only to get sucked into that video game with fighting monsters everyone is raving about. That game is, of course, Yo-Kai Watch.
> 
> The ending of this chapter managed to change the flow of this fic, though, so instead of the next chapter being another one I didn't want to write, it's the one I want to write the most. Nice! Hopefully it won't take so long, but no promises.  
> (Also, thanks to everyone who left kudos in the massive gap between this and the last chapter! You were my casual reminders that people like this story and I should finish it, hehe.)


	7. Chapter 7

Pale light fell in through Mizael’s windows into his chambers that night. It wasn't exactly the same as moonlight; the hue was warmer and dimmer. With the candles Mizael had lit the faint light was certainly pretty enough for Kaito, though, who didn't pay much detail to those sort of things, anyway.

He yawned as he thumbed through his papers while sitting on their bed -- mostly objectives and outlines of what he needed to accomplish in the coming days, with a drawing from Haruto here or there to comfort him. Kaito had long changed out of his robes and into his pajamas before doing this, and he looked up to see Mizael was doing the same. 

As Kaito looked over Mizael’s form, a thought came to him: he’d never touched Mizael’s Barian form before. At least, not in the way he had his human one. It was almost a shock, really; Mizael had told Kaito so many stories of his life in Barian, it completely slipped his mind that he hadn’t lived Mizael’s entire life with him, let alone seen his Barian form in years. Curiosity got the best of him, and he spoke up.

“Mizael? Can you come here?”

Mizael’s head perked up in surprise as he walked over to the bed. “Do you need something?”

Kaito did not say anything in response, but instead reached out a hand as he started to rub one of Mizael’s shoulders. Mizael looked surprised, but only for a second before realizing what Kaito was doing. 

Cool and hard, Mizael’s body felt more like a Roman sculpture than that of a living being’s. As Kaito continued to feel it, though, he found while the texture was like that of marble, the density was more comparable to an exoskeleton than human skin or a sculpture. The odd combinations Kaito felt as he touched fascinated him as he rubbed Mizael’s arm.

“You're cold.”

“We don't have flesh like humans,” Mizael answered. “Our skin is so thick that our equivalent to blood doesn’t provide enough energy to warm us.” 

Kaito nodded when he was quickly met with a hand on his own shoulder -- he looked up, surprised as Mizael started inspecting his body in a similar fashion.

“I've been in a human body for so long, I forgot how soft and warm they truly are.” There was a comforting gentleness in his voice as he started to caress Kaito’s arm.

A curious hand of Kaito’s slowly made its way down Mizael’s waist, stopping at a white gem on his hip. His thumb slid over it slowly, rubbing back and forth over it. “It’s so smooth. Just like a gem on Earth.” The more he looked at the gem, taking in all of the sparkles in the light, the more captivated he became. “You’re so beautiful, Mizael. So, so beautiful.”

“W-well, thank you…” Mizael replied, clearly flustered by the compliment as he averted his eyes. “You’re beautiful, too.”

Kaito slowly looked up at Mizael’s face. “Why do you keep that mask on all the time?” 

Mizael pulled away at the question, but Kaito continued talking. 

“I know you're not wearing it just ‘for status’. You wouldn't wear it in private if you were.” He leaned in, mouth pressed against Mizael’s ear as he whispered. “You don't need to hide anything from me.”

Contemplative, Mizael looked Kaito over for a few moments. “...Very well.”

Kaito’s gaze on Mizael intensified as the mask slowly came off his face, taking in as many details at once. The lack of nose and mouth weren't surprising, neither were the white marks, similar to the red ones in his human form above his eyes. However, the most notable detail was the large chip of rock missing below Mizael’s left eye. “...It’s from mediating a fight between Vector and Nasch once,” Mizael said, Kaito’s fingers already tracing over it. “I don't like showing it to others. It's a vulnerable point. A wound in my pride.”

“I don't think so,” Kaito responded as he rubbed a thumb right under the opening. “It shows how far you're willing to go to make sure things are lead peacefully.” A smile came to his lips as his eyes met Mizael’s. “It’s sign of compassion.”

“You don’t have to intimidate enemies like I do,” Mizael replied. “You don’t understa-”

Mizael lost his train of thought as he felt Kaito’s lips touch the wound.

“You need to stop being so hard on yourself. You’re beautiful,” Kaito whispered. His fingers found themselves entwined in Mizael’s hair as he kissed the wound again; the strands much thicker, like that of wires compared to his soft, silky human hair. There was also a distinct waxy texture, Kaito noticed.

“I can’t even kiss you back,” Mizael protested. “Why do you insist on doing that?”

“Because I want to show you how much I love you.”

Mizael took a few seconds to process Kaito’s answer before he took the hand not currently in his hair and put it to the Baria Lapis on his chest. Kaito stopped kissing and looked at Mizael curiously.

“Obviously, Barians don’t kiss,” Mizael started to explain. “We have other ways to show our intimacy.” 

Kaito looked down at his hand, rubbing it slowly on Mizael’s chest. “It’s warm.”

“Our energy comes from our Baria Lapides. Touching one is like feeling our heartbeat.” Mizael’s hand slowly slid onto Kaito’s chest as he put it against Kaito’s own heart. “It’s a very intimate action.”

Nestling his face against Mizael’s neck, Kaito continued to stroke his Lapis with his thumb. “I feel so safe with you, Mizael.”

Mizael held Kaito closer as they both fell onto the bed.

***

“I wish I could be more affectionate to you in my real form,” Mizael commented some time later as he looked at the ceiling. 

Kaito turned over in the sheets and faced Mizael. “What do you mean?”

“I can’t hold and kiss you in this form the way I can in my human form,” Mizael answered as he rustled in the sheets. “I wish I could do more with you like this.”

“What makes this form any more of the ‘real’ you than your human form?” Kaito asked, pulling a stray lock of hair away from Mizael’s face. “You’ve lived longer as a Barian, but that doesn’t change that you’re just as much of a human. This is just another side to you. Besides, even if that was the case, I like learning more ways to be close to you like this.”

Mizael lidded his eyes as he wrapped an arm around Kaito. “Thank you,” he whispered.

The two fell asleep soon after, safe in each other’s arms.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd like to think whether Kaito and Mizael had weirdo human on Barian xeno kink sex or if they just held each other close is open-ended and up to the readers to decide. It doesn't change much either way.
> 
> Fun fact: this entire fic came from this chapter; I really wanted to write about Kaito exploring Barian Mizael's body and then... a stupidly elaborate story kind of exploded from it.
> 
> Holy moly, this fic already has over 50 kudos and there's still four chapters to go before we actually get to the plot.


End file.
